The organization of different departments or business units within a company is called corporate or company structure. This structure can differ significantly between companies depending on the industry and the company’s specific goals.

Company structure

Departments within a company usually perform a distinct function, while they are also collaborating with each other. Some of the most important departments usually include Accounting and Finance, IT, Human Resource, Marketing, Research and Development, and Production.

There are four general types of traditional organizational structures: functional, divisional, matrix, and flat. Nowadays with the emergence of the digital marketplace, decentralized and team-based structures are also becoming more widespread and important.

A functional company structure means that people are grouped together based on their specialty (such as finance, marketing, operations, top management, HR etc.). The specialty in this regard is a certain similarity in their skill sets, tasks and accountabilities. In a structure like this, group members can easily communicate and learn from each other, hopefully leading to an efficient decision-making process.

In a divisional structure, workers are grouped in teams based on the projects they work on. A common example is geographical structure, where divisions in different regions are built to operate in a specific location. A division is an autonomous section of the company where each section has its own top executive and its own structure. Small businesses rarely use a divisional structure.

A matrix structure is a more complex system, it combines elements of the divisional and functional models.  It groups people into functional departments of specialization, but further separates them into divisional projects. Team members are given more autonomy and responsibility in this type of structure, which increases productivity and supports creativity and innovation. A matrix structure, though, may have its own problem areas, since it is a more complex system that can also prove to be less efficient. A company that operates in various geographical regions with various products may profit from the matrix structure, because development teams and geographical interaction specialists may need to work together more closely.

A flat company structure is the opposite of the traditional top-down management system of most companies. To put it briefly, there is no “boss”, management is decentralized. Each employee is the boss of themselves communicating directly with others. This structure allows a more straightforward working relationship and it eliminates bureaucracy aiming to make the company quicker in decisions and more efficient in communication.

Tall and flat companies

Besides these models, there are also other factors that define the structure of an organization. The key term is the chain of command, the system by which instructions are passed from one person to another within the company. Depending on the chain of command, the structure could be either vertical or horizontal, as well as centralized or decentralized. Vertical structures usually have a CEO at the top of the company who delegates authority to mid-level and lower-level managers. Horizontal (or flat) companies do not have middle-managers and everyone gets involved in daily tasks. Within a centralized organizational structure, the decisions and the directions of the company are decided by one person. In decentralized organizational structures, people working at the company have a certain autonomy at each level; they may also join the decision-making process.  

Future trends

The digital era has had a great impact on corporate structure as well. The successful organizations of the future will be those that can adapt more quickly and embrace dynamic career demands. The trend seems to be towards a flatter, decentralized organizational structure. These transformations are very much influenced by technological changes, since they improve efficiency, change the job landscape, restructure departments and modify the requirements that certain position have within the company.

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Vállalati osztályok és pozíciók

Nowadays a CV has become an important tool of seeking a job or even finding a better one – if you are building a carreer. With a little effort, you can create a CV that will make you stand out from the other candidates. Here are some tips how to reshape your CV to make it an effective tool for your job-hunt.

1. Know who it’s for!

Be clear about who you are creating your CV for. Know what the role is, who the employer is, exactly what they are looking for. The more you can learn about your target, the better you can tailor your CV specifically for them.

2. Be short and relevant!

Keep your CV short and sharp. Put in relevant information only and use it to highlight the best bits of information about you. Make it a document which causes people to want more.

A beautifully designed and formatted paper CV can make a great impact if handed over in a meeting with prospective employers, recruiters and networking contacts. A shorter (one-page) CV can be more appropriate at industry events – such as conferences – when you might want to give only a brief overview of your career and stand-out achievements. And although a traditional CV and cover letter combination is still the standard job application method, the growing popularity of social networks has made a supplementary, online presence vital in many industries. So, don’t neglect your online presence!

3. Align your online and offline CVs!

Think about your online profile as well as your paper CV. A personal blog or online portfolio is a good way to provide extra information about your background and links to your work. Platforms such as LinkedIn also allow you to embed information via slideshare presentations, files, and multimedia content. These days people search online to find out about you and will expect to see a LinkedIn profile. This is also a great way to be headhunted and found directly by organisations so don’t miss out on this opportunity.

4. Be genuine!

Never lie in your CV. Be true to who you are and what you have done otherwise you risk being caught out and people can usually see through a made-up CV. Make sure that you really want this job and that you know you can do it!

5. Highlight your strengths!

Think about what you are good at and how you can articulate these things in your CV. Stick with your strengths and do not highlight what you feel you may be lacking, weak in or missing out on.

Man: Have you heard? The boss fancies his new assistant.
Woman: Really? How do you know?
Man: Last night I overheard them in the pub. They were planning to meet at the weekend.
Woman: Wow. Good for them. I’m not surprised. She seems to be a nice girl.
Man: A nice girl? Are you kidding? I can spot a gold digger a mile off.
Woman: I wouldn’t be so quick to judge people.
Man: She must be at least 20 years younger!
Woman: They are probably closer in age than you’d imagine. I happen to know that she is divorced with two big kids.
Man: No!
Woman: Yes, and whatever they do at the weekend is none of our business. Live and let live.
Man: You’re probably right. It’s just that I was really shocked. She looks so young. Do you think it’s plastic surgery?
Woman: Jim! She looks younger than she is but stop spreading rumours. You know what people are like, they blow up everything. Don’t you remember what happened after the Christmas party?
Man: How could I forget, with Donna trying to kill me the following day.
Woman: So you’d better drop the subject.

IMPORTANT PHRASES

Have you heard?–  Hallottad?  
How do you know? – Honnan tudod?
Good for them. – Jó nekik.
Are you kidding? – Viccelsz?
I can spot a gold digger a mile off. – Messziről észreveszem, ha valaki csak érdekkapcsolatot akar.
I happen to know …. . – Történetesen tudom, hogy … .
It’s none of our business.– Semmi közünk hozzá.
Live and let live.– Élni és élni hagyni.
You know what people are like. – Tudod, milyenek az emberek.
How could I forget! – Hogy is felejthetném el!
Drop the subject!– Ne foglalkozz vele! Ejtsd a témát!

One effect of globalization is the increasing number of foreign companies and business partners in Hungary. Dealing with foreign tourists has been a daily task for hotel receptionist for decades but nowadays English skills are  a must at many company reception desks as well. As the receptionist is the first person a customer meets or hears on the phone, a good first impression is essential. A professional receptionist knows that their attitude and skills shape what customers think about the whole company. Therefore, it is worth investing time into improving one’s workplace English, which will result in more efficient communication and a better impression.

How to prepare for dealing with native and non-native English speakers in person and on the phone? Even if your general English conversation skills are not the best, as a receptionist you always need to communicate politely. For example, “Can I have your name, please?” sounds far better than “What’s your name?” in a professional environment. Make a list of polite expressions to learn.

Giving directions within the building and knowing the English equivalent of the departments and different positions in your company also saves you from the unpleasant task of clearing up misunderstandings later. If you are not sure, the best idea is to ask the relevant people about it.

If your company often has visitors from abroad it is handy to have free city plans and brochures from the tourist info. You can also make a good impression by having a couple of good restaurants to recommend. If you need to talk to a foreigner for a few minutes while they are waiting at the reception desk, have some standard questions ready: “How was your trip?” “How do you like the town/city?” “Have you been to Hungary before?”

Many people find it more difficult to understand foreigners over the phone. This is not surprising, so it is best to be prepared to ask for clarification and it is a good idea to find out in advance who to turn to if you realise the situation is beyond your English skills. Native speakers often use the Aviation Alphabet for spelling names, so have a print-out on your desk to avoid confusion.

USEFUL EXPRESSIONS – FROM BASIC TO PROFESSIONAL   

Useful sentences – On the phone

Good morning. Thank you for calling. My name is Anna. How may I direct your call?
Jó reggelt kívánok! Köszönjük hívását. A nevem Anna. Kinek továbbíthatom a hívását?

Sorry to keep you waiting. I’m putting you through.
Elnézést, hogy megvárakoztattam. Kapcsolom.

Do you want to hold or would you like to call back later?
Szeretné tartani a vonalat vagy inkább visszatelefonál később?

I’m afraid the line/extension is engaged/busy. I’ll transfer you to Ms Megyeri.         
Sajnálom a vonal/mellék foglalt. Átkapcsolom Megyeri asszonyhoz.

I’m returning your call on behalf of Mr Kiss to let you know …         
Kiss úr megbízásából hívom vissza, hogy tudassam Önnel …

I’m calling to confirm that …  
Azért hívom, hogy megerősítsem, hogy …

Which company are you calling from?          
Melyik cégtől keresi?

I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name. Could you spell it please?         
Elnézést, nem értettem a nevét. Tudná betűzni?

Can you please repeat the date/location/time/phone number/e-mail address?          
Meg tudná ismételni a dátumot/helyszínt/időpontot/telefonszámot/e-mail címet?

Is there anything else I can do for you?         
Tehetek még Önért valamit?

————————————————–

to take a message – üzenetet leírni
contact number – telefonos elérhetőség
request – kérés
to put somebody through – kapcsolni valakit
to hold the line – tartani a vonalat
extension – mellék
engaged/busy – foglalt
to transfer a call – hívást átkapcsolni
to return a call – visszahívni
on behalf of – valaki nevében
to confirm – megerősíteni, visszaigazolni
to not catch someone’s name – nem érteni valaki nevét
location – helyszín

When you start a new job it is very important to find out about the daily work schedule and the daily or weekly meetings you are supposed to attend. Daily and weekly duties and responsibilities also have to be included in your work schedule, as well as scheduled overtime if you are expected to do some. Most office workers in Hungary work 8 hours a day, starting between 8 and 9 a.m. and finishing between 4.30 to 6 p.m. depending on the length of their lunch break and starting time. Part-time work and flexi-time are not the norm, while some jobs, like customer services, may involve working a rotating morning and afternoon shift.

If you want to work efficiently, you need to organize your day. The best starting point for creating your own schedule is your job description, and your manager or supervisor should be able to help you by drawing up a detailed list of tasks and responsibilities. Some companies have realised that long working hours do not mean that more work is done in the office, as people get more and more tired as the day goes by. Research shows that efficiency can be increased by taking short breaks besides the lunch break, so those should also be built into your schedule. Making a daily to-do list can save you a lot of time, especially in the first weeks until you settle into a routine.

If you feel you waste too much time during the day in your present job and need to finish your tasks after normal working hours or you often find staying on schedule challenging, as a first step you should monitor your work habits for a couple of weeks to determine how efficiently you manage your time. Then you can put this information to good use by drawing up a weekly schedule, including

– daily tasks: checking mail and answering, scheduling meetings, filing documents, collecting packages and mail that need to be sent

– weekly tasks: writing a weekly report, meeting your supervisor, department meeting, all-staff meeting, scheduled overtime, filling in time report sheets

– job-specific tasks: working late shifts, on-call duty, checking office supplies, billing clients, checking office equipment (computers, photocopiers, printers), data entry, giving presentations, visiting clients, doing paperwork

Then you can start working out which of these time management tips are helpful in your line of work and try them out even if they don’t seem very useful at first glance. You never know what might work until you’ve given it a week or so.

Time management tips:

– make a daily to-do list

– set a timer if you tend to waste time daydreaming

– set deadlines

– prioritise your tasks in four categories: urgentand important, not urgent but important, urgent but not important, neither urgent nor important

– avoid spending too much time chatting to colleagues

– check your e-mails twice a day at set times

– do more difficult tasks in the morning, as most people can concentrate better at this time of day

– review your notes, assignments and calendar weekly, not to miss something important

– identify resources to help you: colleagues with special expertise, experienced supervisors, company databases, etc.

‘Thanks for coming to the meeting today. I’m sorry that we had to put off the meeting until today. It would have been better to have had the meeting last week as was originally planned. As I told you before, the last meeting was postponed because something very urgent came up, which meant that I couldn’t attend.

Everybody is here today except Peter Jenkins, who is on holiday. So Roger Wilson is standing in for him today in the meeting. Welcome Roger.

You’ll be happy to hear that we don’t have a lot to get through today. There are only three items on the agenda. So I’ll start by just running through the items on the agenda. The first item is about the recent changes to the customer service telephone project. The second item is about the problems at the Dublin Call Centre. And the last item is an update on the new government legislation.

The meeting is scheduled to last two hours. I’m sure that it won’t run over today. I believe that we’ll be finished after one and half hours. Before we start talking about the first item, I just want to inform you that this Saturday’s company cricket match has been called off. It seems that the weather forecast says that it’s going to rain all weekend. So you can relax at home.

So Jane, do you want to update us on the changes in the customer services telephone project.’

Jane:

‘Thanks Steve. First of all, the project is still on schedule. We haven’t run into any major problems. There was a small issue in testing, about 10% of calls were being lost. I’m pleased to tell you that we identified the problem and this has been sorted out. There has been a development with the automatic customer answering system. The Managing Director told us earlier this week that he didn’t like having a northern accent on the answering system and has asked us to change it to a southern accent. So … ‘

Chair:

‘Sorry Jane, going back to the problem with the lost calls. What was the problem?’

Jane:

‘Well, it was … ‘

Ian:

‘Sorry Jane, do you mind if I answer this?’

Jane:

‘No, go ahead.’

Ian:

‘There was a simple problem with the routing of the calls, which just required a reconfiguration. It won’t cause any more problems.’

Chair:

‘Ok. So Jane, about the accent, go on.’

Jane:

‘As I was saying, we have to change the accent. We’ve already hired someone to re-record the messages in a southern accent.

The last change is about me. I’m leaving the project on the 12th of May to start another project with the finance department. So, my colleague Tim Berridge will be taking over the role of Project Manager for the project on that date.’

Chair:

‘Sorry to hear that you’re leaving us. I just need to take down the date when you’re leaving the project. I forget things if I haven’t written them down. So you’re leaving the project on the 12th of May?’

Jane:

‘Yes.’

Simon:

‘Although it’s not connected, do you mind if I bring up an issue there is with the misuse of the internet by staff, which I’d liked to discuss with you all?’

Chair:

‘Simon, you’ll have an opportunity to talk about this later, but there are other issues that we need to talk about first.’

PHRASAL VERBS FOR BUSINESS MEETINGS

Dialogue: At the reception desk

Receptionist: Good afternoon. Thank you for calling our company. My name is Zita. How may I direct your call?
Caller: I would like to talk to Mr Bartos, please.
Receptionist: Can I ask who’s calling?
Caller: This is Jurij Altukhov from the Moscow branch.
Receptionist: One moment, please. I’ll put you through to his assistant.

…

Receptionist: I’m afraid the extension is busy. Do you want to hold or would you like to call back later?
Caller: Just let him know that I called about the meeting on Friday.
Receptionist: Can I have your name again, please?
Caller: Jurij Altukhov .
Receptionist: A-L-T-U-C-H-O-V?
Caller: Almost. Change the C in the middle to K for Kilo.
Receptionist: Thank you sir, I’ll let Mr Bartos know to call you back about the Friday meeting. Is there anything else I can do for you?
Caller: No, thank you. Good-bye.
Receptionist: Thank you for calling, good-bye.

—————————————–

How may I direct your call? – Kit kapcsolhatok?
Can I ask who’s calling? – Ki keresi?
branch – fiókiroda
to put someone through – kapcsolni valakit
extension – mellék
busy – foglalt
to hold – tartani (vonalat)
to let someone know – valakinek megmondani valamit, tudtára adni
to call about something – valamivel kapcsolatban telefonálni
Can I have your name again, please? – Szabad még egyszer a nevét?
Is there anything else I can do for you? – Tehetek Önért még valamit?

Knowing what to wear on a job interview is half the battle of the interview itself. The old adage could never be so true, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”

When you’re going on a job interview, your appearance is extremely important. Whether or not you look professional or sloppy could decide whether you get hired.

When first deciding what to wear on a job interview, you should first take into consideration the culture of the company you are interviewing with, and dress accordingly. Are you interviewing with a company where the employees wear suits everyday or do they wear t-shirts and jeans?

A suit is not always the best choice for what to wear on a job interview. If you show up wearing a suit and tie and all the employees are wearing shorts and flip-flops, you will look out of place, feel uncomfortable and give off the wrong energy. The same is true of the opposite. If you show up wearing shorts and flip-flops to a company that wears professional attire, you will be just confirming that you don’t fit into the company.

If you want to get the job, your choice of what to wear on a job interview should match or be slightly dressier than the normal work attire of the company. For example, if the normal work attire of the company is business casual, it’s OK to wear a suit to impress. If the normal work attire is casual, it’s OK to wear a business casual outfit to impress as well. Appropriateness is the most important factor on what to wear on a job interview.

After you decide whether a professional, business casual, or casual outfit is the most appropriate for your interview, here are some guidelines you will want to stay within when deciding what to wear on a job interview. The key is to wear clothing that you feel comfortable and look great in, while at the same time matching the corresponding dress code of the company. That way you’ll give off great energy and your true personality shine through.

–  Make sure that your clothes are neatly ironed. Nothing gives away the lack of attention to detail more than wrinkled clothing.

–  Make sure your clothing fits properly.

–  Don’t wear flashy jewelry. You’ll want the interviewer to pay attention to you, not your bling.

–  Dress according to the season. Don’t wear perfume or aftershave. You never know if your interviewer is allergic and this isn’t a good way to find out.

–  Make sure you have a nice, clean haircut that makes you look well groomed.

–  For women, don’t wear anything that is too revealing. It’s best to keep your body parts inside your clothing and not be too exposed

–  Avoid articles of clothing with loud, busy prints. It’s best to wear solid colors that flatter your skin tone.

–  For women, make sure you wear appropriate lingerie and/or pantyhose underneath your clothing. This will give you smooth lines and assure you don’t have visible panty lines on your backside.

–  For women, don’t overdo your makeup. Wear natural colors and avoid heavy eyeshadow, eyeliner and bright colored lipstick.

So, congratulations on getting the interview! Now you know exactly what to wear to the interview so you can get the job.

adage – szólás
sloppy – hanyag, rendetlen
to get hired – felvételt nyerni valahova
to take into consideration – számításba venni
to interview with a company – egy cégnél interjúzni
accordingly – valaminek megfelelően
employee – alkalmazott
suit – öltöny
tie – nyakkendő
professional attire – hivatalos öltözék
to confirm – megerősíteni
slightly – kissé
dressier – elegánsabb
business casual – hivatali lezser
appropriateness – alkalmasság
factor – tényező
to give off great energy – nagyszerű energiát sugározni
to shine – ragyogni
to iron – vasalni
wrinkled – gyűrött
It fits. – Jól áll, megfelelő méret.
flashy – feltűnő
bling – csillogó bizsu, ékszer
well groomed – jól ápolt
revealing – sokat mutató, kihívó
to expose – kitenni
to avoid – elkerülni
loud, busy print – vad, feltűnő minta
to flatter – hízelegni, előnyös színben feltünteni
lingerie – fehérnemű
pantyhose – harisnya
panty lines – bugyivonal
to overdo – túlzásba vinni

Match the words and the definitions. 

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answer key:

1-b, 2-d, 3-e, 4-a, 5-c